{"id":1917,"date":"2017-04-01T07:15:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T12:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1917"},"modified":"2017-04-05T15:37:06","modified_gmt":"2017-04-05T20:37:06","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-rebellion-part-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=1917","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion – Part 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 13<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meia glanced across the table over to where Randy said. She knew he had other duties other than making sure she was all right.\u00a0 However the fact he was sitting here felt a bit reassuring to her.\u00a0 She still felt a bit raw after everything she had gone though. \u00a0She was positive her uncle had killed her family, father, mother and any other family members she might have had and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s strange,\u201d Meia finally said. \u201cI guess I knew all along but I never thought about my father growing up, or even if he had any family.\u00a0 The only person I knew was my mother and I avoided talking about it to others in my class as family is important to them, unlike in the upper classes.\u00a0 I\u2019d mumble that they were dead and didn\u2019t want to talk about it.\u00a0 I guess I didn\u2019t want to think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a sister who I don\u2019t see much of, and a father who was away most of the time when I grew up. I never understood why he was gone so often, but now I understand.\u00a0 Military life has a lot of demands on it even if we were not the most disciplined military,\u201d Randy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I wished I had a sibling, now I\u2019m glad I don\u2019t,\u201d Meia replied knowing how much more complex that would make things. \u201cIt would only add another problem to this puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is one thing which always bothered me,\u201d Randy said. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he just adopt you instead of all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, sometimes I wish he had,\u201d Meia said knowing how it would have simplified things. \u201cI guess I\u2019ll ask him when I finally face him.\u00a0 Until then I only have speculation about his motives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re stronger than you give yourself credit for,\u201d Randy finally stated causing eia to glance up at him as he continued on. \u201cI mean, look at you, you lost your father before you were born, your mother when\u00a0 you were five, not to mention your grandparents and any aunts and uncles you never knew about if any.\u00a0 Add to that two uncles who tried to kill you, one even tried to kidnap you and use you.\u00a0 I\u2019d have gone crazy after all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I already am,\u201d Meia confessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, John, he\u2019s crazy, you appear normal,\u201d Randy replied quickly.<\/p>\n

The statement caused Meia to smile a bit knowing that John did act a bit crazy at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m ever trusting him to give me another drink as long as we live,\u201d Meia finally said recalling the \u2018drink\u2019 he gave her.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood advice,\u201d Randy said. \u201cGave me this gree stuff one day, tasted all right, but boy, blew my senses right away.\u00a0 In fact that\u2019s where I got my tattoo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia\u2019s eyes rose at that statement. \u201cYou have a tattoo?\u00a0 Where?\u00a0 What did you get?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her curiosity rose at the fact Randy seemed to blush slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, you can tell me, I\u2019m sure John already knows about it,\u201d Meia replied prodding him with the knowledge she would get it from John.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nothing major, just a, well, small looking elf-girl sitting on a fighter on my upper arm,\u201d Randy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGotta be something more than that for you to blush,\u201d Meia said hearing Randy groan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, she\u2019s nude, but very well done,\u201d Randy said. \u201cAnd the position, well it\u2019s not something to be showing kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia grinned at Randy\u2019s discomfort at the tattoo. \u201cYou don\u2019t remember getting it do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, woke up with a sore arm the next morning, but at least its nothing compared to what john got that night,\u201d Randy said suddenly grinning way too much. \u201cGot a tattoo which says \u2018iss me beautiful\u2019 on his butt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia covered her mouth so she wouldn\u2019t laugh too loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe couldn\u2019t sit down comfortably for several days,\u201d Randy replied still grinning. \u201cLast time I ever saw that stuff, and he was a bit more careful in what he drank, never got another tattoo.\u00a0 Does the Cimalian Empire have anything like that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia gave it some thought before answering. \u201cSomething like it, but its used more for identifying someone for a crime or something.\u00a0 A few have one, mostly saw hotshots having one, or others who were trying to show something off for some reason,\u201d Meia replied.\u00a0 \u201cAnd they were generally part of the upper class, most lower class who got one had done a crime, easy identification.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t sound pleasant,\u201d Randy replied back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more severe criminals get marked on their face. Murder, serial offenses, they are marked so everyone can identify them later on,\u201d Meia said.\u00a0 \u201cYou really don\u2019t want to be left alone with someone who had killed multiple times for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThought they might just be killed,\u201d Randy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all depends on your social class, if you\u2019re an Alpha you can almost always get away with it, unless there were a lot of witnesses and depending on who the crime was against. Against an Epsilon, the Alpha would get away with it, another Alpha, it depends,\u201d Meia answered.\u00a0 \u201cMost crimes, like theft and such, are punishable to by electro-whip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve mentioned that several times, what is it,\u201d Randy asked.<\/p>\n

Meia flexed her back in reflex of the painful memories it brought back before answering. \u201cIt\u2019s a cruel device which inflicts pain but doesn\u2019t do any physical damage.\u00a0 Many think the Alliance invented the device and use it on their own people even more than they use it in the Cimalian Empire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might have developed the technology, after all the Empire had contact with the Alliance for a while now. Someone here could have developed the technology and never done anything with it,\u201d Randy replied logically, something Meia hadn\u2019t considered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long are we prepared to wait?\u201d she finally asked, changing the subject.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever long it takes, or until we run out of supplies, one or the other,\u201d Randy replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t fight on low supplied, and what if the Empire attacks the Alliance, my uncle wont\u2019 wait for us to make a move,\u201d Meia said watching as Randy nodded in acknowledgement of that fact.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, but moving your fleets weakens your defenses, and with our fleet gone rogue it might increase the chance of an attack, something my father already considered,\u201d Randy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral, incoming message from Captain Russell for you,\u201d Hans\u2019 voice said interrupting any further conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut him through,\u201d Randy stated.<\/p>\n

Meia waited and was able to listen in on the conversation as Russell reported in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiral, reporting in with an update. We were successful in dropping Brad off on the planet\u2019s surface.\u00a0 However, long range scans indicate the Cimalian Empire has tightened its defenses,\u201d Russell stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot surprising, but we might only get one crack at this plan,\u201d Randy said even as Meia had a thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey might think I\u2019m on the planet\u2019s surface,\u201d Meia said speaking up. \u201cI don\u2019t know if that\u2019s good or bad news for Brad.\u00a0 It would mean an increase in patrols around where he is, but it would also mean they are looking for someone else.\u00a0 IF that\u2019s the case it allows us some room to operate, and I expect the shuttle to either be guarded or destroyed on sight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere might still be another shuttle on the surface of the planet,\u201d Randy said, as Meia recalled the landing on the planet when she went down before the entire clone problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the transponder number for that shuttle,\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, keep it in mind,\u201d Randy said. \u201cAny idea when the pick-up will occur?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve scheduled two different tries, the first is in six hours, the next twenty-four hours after that,\u201d Russell replied. \u201cAfter that he\u2019s on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well, report back in seven hours,\u201d Randy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meia sat back watching Randy for several seconds as he went about giving commands and orders to different groups after the conversation. She could tell he had become comfortable with the situation where she had to stop and consider such orders.\u00a0 She questioned every decision she made, was it right or wrong?\u00a0 She pushed the thought from her mind and sat back waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when are you on patrol?\u201d Randy asked finishing up his orders and looking back at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy squad has patrol in a couple of hours,\u201d Meia replied recalling how the patrols were set up.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, for now we wait seven hours and hope for the best,\u201d Randy said to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope and pray for a good outcome,\u201d Meia said knowing all she could do now was wait.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Brad swung around at the sound of the door, a bit anxious at what might happen next. Relief flooded though him at the sight of Carl as he made his way into the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, anything I can use to tell Meia about?\u201d Brad asked looking at a strange look on Carl\u2019s face, something between hope and failure. He had a feeling something strange had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, I got a strange call,\u201d Carl finally said. \u201cIt was from someone who normally would never contact me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brad frowned, wondering what had happened in the short time Carl had been away.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Beta met with me outside of work,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n

Brad\u2019s eyebrows rose at that statement. It normally never happened, a Beta and a Gamma, the classes were too far apart for such a meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said his name was Dave, and he works for another group, headed by a few Alphas. I\u2019m a bit skeptical about that, but he knew things, especially about Meia and wanted to meet her,\u201d Carl said as Brad considered the words as well.\u00a0 \u201cI never mentioned her name, but he knew her and seemed to think she was on the planet\u2019s surface, is that true?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brad considered the information, and knew hiding the truth would do nothing. \u201cNo, we considered that too dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm, then they might be working on the last time she was here,\u201d Carl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPossible,\u201d Brad said. \u201cIt might be meaningful for me to meet with him.\u00a0 My first contact time is coming up,\u201d he said looking at the watch which had two countdowns on it.\u00a0 He currently had less than six hours before the first try.\u00a0 \u201cIf we do anything we need to do it now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might say that,\u201d Carl said. \u201cHere\u2019s the address, I can\u2019t go with you on this one, but tell him Carl sent you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s expecting me, not Meia, right?\u201d Brad said anxiously, knowing the last thing he needed was for this contact to expect someone else and not even meet with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, told him we were being cautious,\u201d Carl said. \u201cAsk to see Greg, he\u2019ll have the information.\u201d<\/p>\n

I better get going,\u201d he said looking down at eth address and almost choking at it. \u201cGoddess, this is in the Alpha part of town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck,\u201d Carl said. \u201cI\u2019ll deny seeing or relaying any information.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Brad said heading to the door. \u201cStay safe, I\u2019ll try to be in touch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brad left the room hoping for a good meeting.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Greg waited hoping that someone with a contact with Meia would meet up with him. He had received word from his other contacts that they might try to contact him, a risky move which could end up in his arrest and execution if the Emperor got wind of this.<\/p>\n

He almost jumped upon hearing the doorbell and waited, listening. He heard a male voice tell Liam he wished to speak with Greg.\u00a0 He composed himself and waited as Liam appeared in the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry to interrupt you sir, there is a man out here wishing to speak with you, asked for you by name,\u201d Liam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSend him in, \u201cGreg stated, watching as a few seconds later a man walked into the room in his late twenties, early thirties with brown hair before looking back at Liam. \u201cThank you Liam,\u201d Greg said watching his servant bow before retreating away from the room.\u00a0 Greg turned towards the man his mind already looking things over.<\/p>\n

The man appeared nervous, probably as nervous as Greg felt and hoping the man wasn\u2019t part of some sting. He half expected Enforcers to barge into the room.\u00a0 Instead he motioned for the man to sit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you know Meia?\u201d<\/p>\n

End part 13<\/p>\n

Continued in part 14<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Rebellion by AJ Marks Part 13 Meia glanced across the table over to where Randy said. She knew he had other duties other than making sure she was all right.\u00a0 However the fact he was sitting here felt a bit reassuring to her.\u00a0 She still felt a bit raw after everything she […]
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